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FIVE years ago, Shaun Raviv found a book in a New York bar. The plot of the book wasn’t that interesting; it relayed the tale of a French scientist who was shunned by his community for believing in God.

Raviv’s curiosity was awakened. He wanted to know who this Joey and Mark were, what they were to each other, and, more importantly, why Mark had chosen to write this bizarrely passionate message inside a tepid novel about God and science.

“The book didn’t seem to scream for a superpowerful inscription,” says Raviv.

“But you know, now I think about Mark and Joey all the time. I wonder where in the world they are, and what they’re doing.”

A few months later, he found another inscription in a book at a yard sale. And then another one. Soon, he was looking for them actively.

With that in mind, he started a Web site called BookInscriptions.com, which features – you guessed it – interesting book inscriptions from all over the world.

For example, a dated photo that features an older woman standing proudly next to a Christmas tree – which is topped with an enormous, jeweled armadillo.

Or a shopping list that includes “Kid hair de-tangler, ibuprofen, Fibre-all, Sensodyne, Prozac.”

Or a note that says “BIND ME, please! And bring COOKIES!”

It begs the question: What happens if the person brings the wrong kind of cookies – will binding not occur? (Or will they, perhaps, be bound as punishment?) When will the cookies be eaten: before, after or during?

It’s a lot for a complete stranger to ponder.

Bill Keaggy, the founder of Grocerylists.org, was leaving a grocery store one day when a sort of “silly serendipity” struck: he found a grocery list on a yellow Post-it note. The list itself was nothing special, but much like Raviv, Keaggy found himself fixating on the person it belonged to.

“It was so ordinary – and that’s exactly why it was so great,” he says. “I like the little things in life that people don’t pay attention to. But it’s details like these that make up the minutes of our lives.”

He was particularly struck by the honesty of grocery lists. They aren’t meant to be seen by anyone else, even though the contents of the grocery carts end up on a conveyor belt in plain view of everyone.

“People are very protective of their grocery lists,” says Keaggy, noting that he always leaves his behind in the shopping cart now, for some other curious soul to find.

“One of my favorites was one that had obviously been written by a wife to her husband,” he says. “She wrote, ‘Coke, bread, milk, If you buy more rice I’ll punch you.’ And I just thought that was so great. There’s a life behind each list.”

Among all the Webcams and reality TV and MySpace pages and Match.com, whose slogan is “It’s OK to look,” there is something quaint and endearing about this voyeuristic fascination with the written word. It’s old-school nosiness of the small-town, front-porch variety.

You can’t, after all, come across an old text message that was left behind on the street by another person – but you can find a napkin with the following message: “To Andy the Lifeguard: Thanks for saving our daughter’s life! Have a drink on us. From Clare and Michael.”

That’s one of Foundmagazine.com’s Finds of the Day. The note is signed off with a smiley face.

Who are Clare and Michael, and why did their daughter’s life merit a mere cocktail? What was Andy the Lifeguard’s reaction upon receiving such a note?

We’ll never know. And it’s precisely that element of mystery that makes it so wonderful.

“The fact that you never find out the real truth behind it means that you can create your own story behind it,” Raviv says.

“A story about why these people wrote these notes to each other, and what the deal was.”

And sometimes, the real story is perfectly apparent – and all the more beautiful for its clarity. Like the note found by Jason Bitner in Chicago that said, simply, “I love you. Yes. Yes. Yes.” Some things need no further explanation.

POETRY IN NOTIONS

Foundmagazine.com

“I don’t like pickles, lickorace or ice cream. My favorite color is pink. I have a cat named Piggy” on a bulleted list on a scrap of plain paper.

A dollar bill with “40 year old man looking for a cute lady” written on it, accompanied by a P.O. box where interested parties could contact him.

A drawing of a stick-figure child sitting in a big chair, trying to watch television, with the caption: “I have the right to do wate I want.”

“For Lew, we both know things can go wrong. From one survivor to another, Kirk.” (A copy of “Nothing Can Go Wrong” by Capt. John H. Kilpack with John D. Macdonald)

“I love you gorgeous, marry me!” (A copy of “Generation X”)

“This is a nice book about ‘life.’ I really got a lot out of it. It really is ‘positive’! Hope you appreciate it! Love, -Joan- Ivan

“To Nadine: Joshua 1:9!” (A copy of “God’s Promises for Your Every Need the Joshua 1:9 verse in question reads “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”)

“Dear Mom, This may be the last time you ever see me . . . because Debbie is insane.” (Found in the back of a 1970-71 Vermont College catalog)

“Merry Christmas Chuck! Now you can find out if Jimmy Hoffa is where you think he is!” (A copy of “Contract Killer”)